FIVE FASCINATING FACTS

About Your Child

Parenting is one of the hardest jobs in the world, isn’t it? All you want is for your child to get the best out of life, but it’s not always clear how to help them do this.

Experts at children’s health and wellbeing charity the Sunflower Trust says getting a child’s body basics right is one of the most important ways in which you can help them to thrive. Its five fascinating facts about your child’s body may provide you with some valuable insight …

It’s good to yawn!

Yes, that’s right, yawning is your child’s body doing what it needs to help them learn. Sunflower practitioner Sheree McGregor explains: “The brain normally takes 40% of all available oxygen inhaled to just function normally. Learning will increase that demand. Yawning is the body’s method to increase oxygen intake and is a sign the body is trying to get more in order to be able to keep up with the body’s requirement. Thus it should be encouraged!”

Your child is a supercomputer

Walking into a room uses over 200 bones and nearly 700 muscles. It also requires the brain to process billions of pieces of information (scientists estimate it would take the processing power of 100 million laptops to equal a human brain). It’s not surprising then, that learning to read, write, play sports and navigate social situations can be a challenge for some children if just one of these areas is out of balance.

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Shoulders tell a story

In a study of 100 Sunflower patients, only one was found to have a good balanced structure. None of these patients had reported any physical problems but all had complained of difficulties with learning, behaviour, confidence or social skills. This demonstrates just how much your child’s body affects every aspect of their life, and not necessarily in ways you would expect. If you stand your child in front of a mirror with no top on and their hands at their sides and then stand behind them, their shoulders should be completely level with each other. If one appears higher than the other, this could indicate that their structure that is out of alignment.

Water means well

The most common nutritional deficiency in children is water. Children simply aren’t drinking enough. Without enough fluid they are less able to concentrate, have less co-ordination and be generally less able to perform well in all areas of their life. If your child is reluctant to drink water and their school has a water only policy, try adding a slice of lemon or lime to their bottle – call it their lemon-aid and all their friends will be jealous!

Breathing properly will add zest to their life!

As with water, not having enough oxygen will affect all areas of your child’s life. You may think breathing is just a subconscious skill but in fact many children (and adults) don’t breathe properly. The good news is, you don’t need to invest in an oxygen tent – by learning to use their diaphragm better, your child can treat their brain, muscles and immune system to a powerful boost. Simple breathing exercises can be done together and will also help with relaxation and sleep.

If you would like more information on any of these areas, or to find out more about the Sunflower Programme, please contact: